Permanence
by BlueLunacy7
Summary: Sequel to Inked. Bumblebee couldn’t help but feel humbled and honored...Complete.


Title: Permanence

Author: BlueLunacy7

Pairings: Sam/Bee

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, basically, nothing you recognize is mine.

Author's note: This is the sequel to _Inked_ since so many people wanted it. It takes place _after_ ROTF. It contains very mild spoilers (I guess) for my fic _Owls and Larks_. You don't need to read _Owls and Larks_ to get this but you need to read _Inked_.

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Beauty is skin deep. A tattoo goes all the way to the bone.-Vince Hemingson

Lennox and Epps had taken to teasing Sam every time they were together, saying things like, _"aww, they're adorable,"_ in high babyish voices accompanied by kissing noises.

Sam would respond with a rude gesture in their direction.

Mikaela was annoyed and sulky because it wasn't for her.

Sam told her to get over it.

Ron Witwicky shook his head while bemoaning that he would some day regret it.

Sam swore he wouldn't.

An incensed Judy Witwicky had yelled at _him_ about what a bad influence he was on her precious baby boy and actually chase him out of the garage with a metal baseball bat.

All the while, Sam was trying to take the bat from his mother, shouting that he hadn't known anything about it.

Ratchet had notified him of all the health risks involved (as if he hadn't researched them himself) and told him he needed to watch his charge more carefully if Sam was going to do stupid things.

Sam stated that he didn't need a babysitter. Of course, he murmured this and make sure that Bumblebee was between him and Ratchet.

Optimus commented that it was another sign that their species could co-exist peacefully.

Sam just nodded and smiled.

Ironhide had informed him that his charge was a glitchy pain in the aft.

To which Sam replied that he was a jealous old rust bucket.

What Sam didn't realize, of course, was that he was right, about the jealousy part at least.

Not because it was _Sam_ who got the tattoo, but because Sam had _gotten_ a tattoo for Bumblebee.

Cybertronians had decorative body modifications that were distantly similar to human tattooing. Decorative symbols and glyphs could be etched into their armor quickly and painlessly for the most part depending on the placement.

Optimus had such marking denoting his rank as Prime. The Autobot and Decepticon symbols that each fraction bore were considered as such.

Human tattoos were painful, no matter where they were on the body. They were essentially open _wounds,_ a breeding ground for bacteria and infection, something that neither he nor Ratchet was happy about when they found out_. _The placement for Sam's tattoo was one of the more painful areas. It also didn't help that Sam seemed to be more sensitive to sensation, especially after Egypt.

_Removing_ human tattoos was a long and costly as well painful procedure rife with possible complications and risks. Cybertronian "tattoos" could be removed easily. Such etchings could be buffed out or plates of armor could be removed and replaced with little to no pain.

There was also the fact that Sam had marked himself in such a way. He was _terrified_ of needles, to the point of feeling nauseous and in extreme cases becoming physically ill, (making his actions at the dam even braver).

Sam also wasn't the most secure individual when it came to relationships, which was why, Bumblebee supposed, it had taken Sam dying for him to admit his feelings openly.

Sam was more than willing to give his body to a person but never his heart. Bumblebee knew about Sam's past relationships, relationships that never lasted more than six months before simply dissolving completely or morphing into friendships.

The fact that Sam was willing to mark himself with something so _permanent_, something that would never fade completely…that no matter how old he got, Bumblebee's name would be imprinted on his flesh until he died…

Bumblebee couldn't help but feel humbled and honored.

And he too felt the need for something_ permanent_.

Optimus smiled at the sign of the future.

Ironhide threw his hands up, stating that their relationship was Primus Ordained since neither one of them had any slaggin' sense.

Ratchet had nearly blown a gasket when Bumblebee asked him to do it, refusing out right at first. It had taken six months of begging and the threat of getting someone else to do it that made Ratchet finally agree.

He warned that it would hurt, that only on Bumblebee's death could it be removed.

Even after such a warning, he still wanted it.

It hurt, Primus did it hurt; it was even more painful than Megatron ripping his voice box out and it took six months for it to become permanent.

But seeing the way Sam's face lit up when he saw it, knowing how painful it had been, knowing that his name would be forever etched on Bumblebee's spark chamber, impossible to remove, made it worth it.

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Well, here's Bee reaction to Sam's tattoo.

Inspired by these lyrics from _I'm Taking You With Me_ by Relient K

_If home is where the heart is, then my home is where you are_

I have no idea why. ^_^;

Thanks for reading!

-BlueLunacy7


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